The present invention relates generally to the field of closures for coin collection boxes used in various types of coin operated washers and dryers, and more particularly to a coin box closure having a slotted coin receiving member for use with coin slides which accept vertically positioned coins.
Considerable efforts have been made by prior workers in the field to provide tamperproof or burglarproof coin boxes for use in association with coin operated machines. These coin boxes have generally employed funnels or pivoting flippers designed to prevent easy removal of coins from the coin boxes once they have passed therethrough and into the interior of the coin box. However, these security devices do not satisfy the increasing need for protective measures, inasmuch as access to the coin box cannot be effectively prevented. Also, the need both for additional security and for accommodating additional coins has resulted in the emergence of newly designed coin slide devices, particularly vertical coin slides. The prior art coin boxes are not particularly adapted or designed for use in combination with coin slide assemblies designed to accommodate a plurality of coins in vertical orientation.
Some of the prior art coin boxes have been developed which incorporate a funnel shaped acceptance mechanism which is positioned at the top of the coin box in alignment to receive coins from the coin slide. In such devices, coins drop through the funnel upright, flat or otherwise orientated without difficulty. To achieve this, the opening at the base of the funnel is required to be of relatively large size. While this type of funnel has been widely used in the industry, but can not provide an acceptable degree of security since coins can be removed through the large opening in the funnel. Additionally, this design of funnel opening is clearly intended for use in conventional horizontal coin slide devices and is not particularly adapted for use with vertical coin slides.
In a variation of the funnel apparatus, the chute has been designed to converge to an opening of lesser diameter so that coins that are released either horizontally or vertically are aligned in a relatively vertical position by sliding along the inclined walls of the funnel. Again in this device, all of the coins used in operation of the coin slide are dropped into a single opening opening which is the mouth of the funnel. From this broad opening, the coins are directed into a single slit-like opening that is designed to receive all coins. This type of funnel has a smaller opening at the base thereof, but still does not provide the maximum security or selectivity required.
In another type of device, prior workers have provided a pivoting flipper which comprises a pivotal top or flipper that is affixed to the upper opening of the coin box. The flipper is pivotally mounted at each end, to the top of the side walls of the coin box in a manner to be pivoted by the weight of the coins released from an associated coin slide. The weight of the coin dropping against the upper surface of the pivoting flipper, rotates the flipper and thus allows the coins to pass into the box interior. There remains in this device the potential for unauthorized coin removal which can be accomplished by propping the pivoting flipper into a relatively vertical position to thereby allow unencumbered entry into the interior. Additionally, complete removal of the flipper can be rather easily accomplished by applying sufficient downward pressure to disassociate the flipper pivots and thus expose the coin box contents. There remains in the field of coin box closures the need for a tamperproof closure, particularly one adapted for use with coin slides of the vertical coin type.